Firefight
by Someone Else Took My Name
Summary: The Suicide Mission has gone awry. The plan has gone askew and all hope is lost. Slight AU, but that's debatable. MShep/Tali


Gunfire rang endlessly, seeming almost musical as rounds slammed into the metal walls of the Collector base. A Collector Drone came rushing forward, moving with unparallelled speed and agility. It fired several rounds before being put down. Another group of three came directly behind it, firing mindlessly and endlessly. Rounds flew, all trained on Shepard's wounded form. His biotic barriers exploded, sending a pulse of energy outward. A flurry of rounds hit him, one of which pierced his shoulder.

"Dammit!" He shouted before ducking to cover. Blood poured from the wound, his armor smoking and mangled. He looked to his right and saw that the flank was collapsing. Zaeed was thrown to the ground, bloodied and mangled as a Collector charged him. Shepard raised his heavy pistol and fired a barrage of rounds into the monster. Zaeed got up, his body riddled with bullet wounds, and continued fighting.

The door, huge and metal, was unrelenting and massive. It refused to open, no matter what Mordin did or said. Garrus ordered the right flank to fall back, pulling Zaeed's wounded body along with one hand. Shepard took Garrus's advise and turned to run. A round pierced his back at that moment, dropping him to the floor.

"Dear God..." He groaned before pulling his shotgun. He heard running footsteps and felt a cool three-digit hand on his sidearms a moment later.

"Keelah! Shepard!" He heard Tali's voice, but not much more. The world was growing dim at a rapid rate, the walls slowly becoming more and more bleached. Tali dragged him with one arm, firing a heavy pistol with the other. Garrus was behind her, firing rounds with his sniper rifle to try and hold back the enemy.

Collector Drones began to move, pushing harder and faster at an unprecedented rate. Rounds flew everywhere, filling the air with the buzz of flying projectiles. A torrent of gunsmoke filled the air, making a thin haze mark the Collectors' advance. Tali dragged Shepard behind cover and began to unlatch his armor. Garrus stood beside her, firing volleys with his assault rifle. Tali placed an oxygen generator on the ground and let it work before she continued.

Grunt ran forward, shotgun in hand as he tried to buy the group some time. His screams broke even the roar of gunfire for a moment, and then he charged. He broke into the line of Collector Drones, ripping at any and all flesh he could see. Collector blood flew into the air, creating a river where there was a stream. Rounds punched into his armor and his thick plating, blood flowed in rivulets down his back. He turned to fire into a horde of Collectors with his Claymore. His other hand grabbed a Collector assault rifle and began to spray.

Shepard's armor came undone, revealing the undersuit beneath. A white and black whole-body suit, nothing special. Tali turned the drowsing Shepard on his stomach and saw the multitude of scars that lined them. Somehow, these comforted her in an odd way. Tali grabbed Shepard's shoulder and applied medi-gel as best as she could. She applied the gel to both sides, trying to keep it sealed. She turned to his back. He had been lucky, the round had almost hit his spinal cord. She applied medi-gel and turned him on his back.

She looked up to see the Collector army advancing. Grunt had delayed them, but even he was beginning to falter. A round grazed her helmet and she crouched back down. She took a small container from her storage unit and opened it. Human blood, O+. She stuck the needle in Shepard's neck and slowly pushed the needle. The container emptied at an agonizingly _sluggish_ rate, making Tali nervous and fearful.

"Hurry up Tali, we need to fall back!" Garrus's voice was pained and emotional, he obviously didn't want to leave either. The op had gone horribly wrong and he felt responsible.

Tali bit back a scream, knowing full well that Garrus was concerned for Shepard just as much as she was. She removed the needle and took out a stim. She pricked Shepard's neck and pushed down. Shepard's eyes regained their life, and he groaned in pain.

"Tali?" He asked, as if he didn't know where he was.

"Get your armor on Shepard, we're under fire!" Shepard snapped alert instantly and began to put his armor back on.

Garrus looked to his right and his left, and saw that the others had fallen back. All except Grunt, who was still fighting brazenly. Shepard seemed to take such a _slow_ time in redressing. He popped the heat sink and started shooting again. Round after round flew from the smoking barrel without a single stop in between. He dropped one Collector Drone, then another. He sprayed a volley into a rushing group and noted that two of them had dropped.

Shepard grabbed Garrus's arm and pulled him back. Garrus nodded and turned to run. Shepard turned, and saw that Grunt was dead. He had been ripped to pieces. The three of them ran quickly, eager to get back to the rest of the group. Tali turned briefly to launch a blast of fire into the running horde.

Mordin popped from his cover to greet the group, his words slurred and unintelligible. Mordin fired a volley before crouching back down. Shepard ran to cover and began to fire his assault rifle.

"How's that door coming?!" Jack screamed, her voice echoing ceaselessly.

No response answered her, none except the constant roar of gunfire. Thane and Kasumi took up the left flank, Kasumi going cloaked to reach the high ground. Shepard fired a burst from his Collector beam, doing massive damage to the rushing horde. The beam sliced through the armada, cutting the Collector's numbers by a quarter. The Collectors replaced their numbers with extreme speed, however, and they lost their advantage almost as soon as they gained it.

Mordin worked furiously at his omni-tool, trying his best to bypass the Collector encryption algorithm. He bypassed a forest of binary code, this ancient language seemingly outdated but somehow flummoxing. He knew that the others were depending on him, but he didn't loathe the pressure. Quite the opposite, in fact. He skirted around an outdated firewall and activated another piece of software.

"Impossible." He muttered, his voice wispy and inaudible.

Shepard watched as Tali took a hit, his heart wrenching and bending under the stress. He didn't drop his gun, as much as he'd like to, but instead kept firing and averted his eyes. Legion ran forward, sniper rifle in hand and Geth shields pulsing as he made his way to a vantage point. Rounds met and matched him, tearing away his shields and dropping him to the ground. Legion's wounds spilled with white fluid, but he did not die.

Samara rushed forward and projected a barrier. For a moment, the roar of gunfire ceased, sending blissful silence unto the fireteam. Samara held the barrier for little under a minute before she started to struggle. She felt the barrier's weight double, and triple as the strain began to increase.

"Samara! Run!" Shepard screamed, breaking the silence.

Samara dispelled the barrier and dove into a pit. She was too slow to avoid taking an injury, however. Blood poured from her leg, unrivaled and unmitigated. She gritted her teeth and grabbed a canister of medi-gel. With a hiss, she applied it roughly on her wounds. A flurry of rounds began to shred the air, filling the air with a deadly storm.

"Fall back!" Garrus shouted, knowing full well that they were running out of ground to give. The group obeyed and rushed backward, but not all of them got away. Samara had still been applying her medi-gel when a Collector drone shot her in the skull. A rush of Biotic power leaped from her body, creating a temporary rift in the air as she died.

The biotic storm was gone in an instant, but it gave the group the cover they needed. Garrus perched up, his sniper rifle held and nestled under his shoulder. He fired rounds into the encroaching sea of Collectors. But did no noticeable damage. Mordin was crouched beside him, still poking away at his omni-tool.

"Mordin... We don't have much time..." Jacob panted, his voice weak and wispy.

Shepard shouted and shot biotic energy into the army, knowing that his efforts were likely in vain. He pulled his assault rifle and kept firing, trying his best to suppress the oncoming wave. They didn't take cover from his assault, they didn't even _flinch._ They just kept marching on, guns in hand and endlessly shooting.

Mordin skirted around another firewall and sensed that he was agonizingly close to being finished. He generated a code and punched it in. Another forest of binary rushed by, bringing a muffled cry of anger to his lips. He blinked and continued his work, trying as best as he could to finish the job. He punched in another code and waited for his software to reactivate.

Legion took up the right flank, alongside Thane and Miranda. The three of them fired endlessly, knowing that they were running out of time, room, and thermal clips. Thane picked up his Sub-machine gun and fired a volley into the running horde. He downed three of them and dropped back into cover. Tali suffered another wound, cringing from the pain and applying her contamination seals. She ducked behind cover and launched a drone into the air.

Jacob jumped from cover at the most inopportune moment possible, and absorbed a torrent of rounds. Blood spewed from his wounds, but he didn't flinch or die. Instead, he launched a massive, _torrential_ storm of biotic energy into the rushing horde. Jacob coughed once, spewing blood all over Mordin, Garrus, and Shepard before dropping to the ground.

"Jacob!" Shepard shouted before rushing to the downed ally. He was dead, and he already knew it.

Garrus looked at the massive hole where a horde of Collectors had been.

_Amazing... Truly amazing._ He thought before resuming his gunfire. Even the Collectors had faltered for a moment in their advance, giving the group a small respite. Twenty seconds later, they resumed their march, content that no more biotics would rush at them.

Thane and Legion took the temporary advantage and placed a small warp bomb on the ground. Moments later, the storm of gunfire resumed, and they were caught in it. A round pierced Thane's flesh, spraying green blood onto the ground. Legion stepped in front of Thane, as if to protect him, and absorbed a torrent of rounds. Many of which ripped through his shields and pierced the hull beneath. White conductive fluid poured from his new wounds, bringing temporary weakness to his systems.

Mordin, after what seemed like an eternity of work, had bypassed the encryption. He had full control.

Thane threw Legion under cover and then did the same, grimacing as a round grazed along his back. Garrus, Mordin, and Shepard had fled from their positions and rushed for the cover in front of the big metal doors.

"Fall back!" Garrus screamed, his subharmonics fearful and angry as he did so.

The others obeyed and made their way to the front of the door, almost all of them unaware that the doors would unlock soon. They merged into one group, all of them perched behind cover in front of the door.

"Door unlocking. Hold area!" Mordin screamed, his voice fluttering with fear and excitement.

Zaeed took a torrent of rounds and fell to the ground, blood pouring from his wounds. He crawled to Shepard, using whatever remained of his flesh to do so. He left a huge blood trail, but he no longer cared. He grabbed Shepard's arm and looked at him.

"Finish this..." He groaned, his voice weak and almost inaudible. "Show these bastards... Show them... Show..." Before he could finish the thought, Zaeed fell to the ground and died.

Shepard wrenched his gaze away from Zaeed and continued to fire rounds into the encroaching army.

"Done!" Mordin yelled, and the doors came sliding open. The group sprinted in, ready to escape the swarm of gunfire and rounds. Shepard dropped his assault rifle and ran, ran faster than he had ever run in his life. He threw himself behind a row of crates, relishing the cover from the torrential scream of whizzing bullets.

Legion was slow to move. He had lost too much "blood" and his reaction speed paid for it. Rounds pelted him in the back, opening new wounds. He turned back, his light slowly dimming. He returned his gaze to the door, and then looked at Shepard.

"Shepard-Commander. Finish this." He finished the statement with a raw dosage of emotion... Something that even Shepard wouldn't have believed if he hadn't heard it himself.

Legion turned back and walked into the storm of gunfire. Legion walked in a stilted, limping manner. White fluid spilled from his wounds, his arms were dropped to his sides. A round pierced his side, almost throwing him to the side.

Thane looked at this horrible display and realized what was happening.

"The warp-bomb! Close the doors, quickly!" He shouted, and Mordin obeyed. He brought up his omni-tool and began to close the huge, monolithic doors. They moved slowly, ever so slowly.

Legion made it to the bomb, his body had shattered and his mind destroyed. He had one goal, and one goal only. He turned back and saw the doors closing. A torrent of gunfire tore him apart, bringing him to the edge of death. He outstretched one hand, hoping to whatever forces may govern this world that it wouldn't be shot off. He pressed the trigger, and the bomb activated.

The doors were within an inch of each other when the bomb went off. A huge pulse of purple-blue light filled the room before the doors finished their close. An energy pulse bounced harmlessly off the door's ablative plating, keeping the remains of Shepard's squad alive.

Silence filled the room, all of them contemplating what they had lost.

"Why couldn't he have triggered it from here?" Garrus asked, his voice quiet and remorseful.

"The trigger must have been shot off. He activated it manually." Shepard responded, despondent and hopeless.

"He bought us some time. Let's use it." Garrus said, but even the others knew that he didn't mean it. He sounded broken and dispirited. He sounded as if he had been responsible for this massacre. The others did nothing for a moment, just stood there and grieved silently.

_Grunt... Samara... Jacob... Zaeed... Legion... It's all too much... There's too much goddamn death._ Shepard thought, letting sudden pain wrench at his heart. Tears stung behind his eyes, but he did not let him fall. He was better than that.

"We're moving on with the plan. We've lost friends, but we will not sit here and die. We will fight, and we'll fight to the last drop of blood. On and out." Shepard finished, his voice resonating with emotional power.

Shepard grabbed Garrus's shoulder. He pulled him close.

"It's not your fault Garrus. You can't bear the weight of the world on your shoulders... We're in this together. We take the blame together." Shepard finished the little pep-talk, unaware that he had projected his voice to the rest of the team.

"I know, Shepard... It's just that..."

"Garrus. It's not your fault." Shepard finished quietly, and stepped away from his friend.

He grabbed his shotgun and walked along the horrendous processing chamber that they had entered. Rows upon rows of pods... And they were filled with molten flesh and bone. No survivors, just more pods...

"Dear god..." Shepard whispered "We were too late..." The crew was dead... All dead.

Mordin came behind him. He grabbed his shoulder.

"Reaper experiments... Horrifying. Purpose... Unknown." Mordin's voice became low and sulky. "Undoubtedly evil."

"I know, Mordin. This is why we'll kill these bastards." Shepard couldn't bring himself to say more, his voice was too choked and watery. He fought back tears, and he fought the urge to turn tail and run. They were in this to the end. They all were.

Shepard found himself at a crossroads. On one hand, he could try to finish this. The base's core wasn't too far, and even if the way would be dangerous, they could make it. It would be a one-way trip, and he had known that. On the other, they could hole up here and signal Joker for reinforcements. Their communication device might, _might,_ reach the _Normandy_. Joker could fly up and out to try and contact the Alliance, Cerberus, hell, _anyone_, and then get reinforcements. The _Normandy_ comes back with a full firing squad, and their chances go way up.

_One problem. We'd be dead long before the Normandy got here._

Shepard sighed and looked around. He saw his squad, demoralized and broken. They had all suffered wounds, some more than others. Tali had sustained two hits, even with her advanced shielding technology, and had carefully sealed off the contaminated areas. Thane had suffered a nasty shot in the gut, as well as several burn wounds. Garrus had taken many hits, some of which broke the armor. He was in the process of healing these wounds, taking off his armor to do so. Jack looked tired and afraid, and had suffered several hits. Kasumi was hurt, hurt bad. Even with her cloaking abilities, she had suffered several critical injuries. The blood flow had stopped, thank god, but she was not in the best of health. Miranda had taken a hit on her right arm, an injury that left her trigger finger crippled. Mordin wasn't looking healthy either, he had taken more than one injury in his scant chest, and had lost plenty of blood.

The squad had suffered massive injuries, and bigger casualties. The chances of survival were slim... Oh so slim. Shepard himself had taken two critical injuries, both of which Tali oversaw, as well as several noncritical injuries. He had used his suit's medi-gel dispenser as best as he could, but the suit itself was on the bad side of the damage spectrum.

Mordin approached the squad, who had huddled into one bunch.

"One course of action. Take small team through Seeker swarm, protected by biotic barrier. Other team creates diversion to draw attention away from biotic team. Biotic team reaches next door and hacks it open. Encryption algorithm, not difficult. Broke the code. Diversion team enters through door, and it closes. Simple." Mordin finished, his voice still broken, but not so much now.

"How big is this tunnel?" Jack asked, her her words not containing their usual vulgarity.

"Not very. We can only bring a small team of four." Mordin said, almost mechanically.

"I volunteer." Miranda said, her voice regaining it's usual vibrancy.

"Hell no, Cerberus Cheerleader, I've got this one." Jack responded.

"Jack, you're badly injured. Won't that affect your abilities?"

"And you've only got one working arm. This is my job, not yours."

"ENOUGH!" Shepard yelled, his voice devoid of anger. "We lost five of our own today. This isn't the time for fighting! Jack, you'll take the barrier. Garrus, Tali, with me. Miranda will lead the diversion team. Do some damage, and don't die."

"Understood, Commander." Miranda spoke resolutely.

"Alright, Shepard." Jack muttered.

Shepard nodded and looked to his men. The rest of you, rally under Miranda and stay alive. I don't want to lose anyone else. Got it?" Shepard looked to his men and found no disagreement.

Shepard walked to Tali and grabbed her shoulder.

"Be careful Tali... I've lost so much, I can't lose you too." Shepard's voice lost it's resolute vibrancy.

"I won't, John. I would never leave you." Tali was quiet, very quiet. "Let's go."

Shepard pulled himself away and began to move toward the swarm.

_Out of the frying pan..._

* * *

_...And into the fire._

The tunnel was large, but it was also dangerous. Hundreds of thousands of Seekers beat mercilessly at the biotic barrier, pestering Jack and weakening her. The barrier she had projected was strong enough to deflect the seekers, but not thick enough to prevent bullets or husks from entering. A dangerous predicament. Collector Drones and Assassins stormed them, spraying rounds into the barrier.

Jack pushed herself into cover and stopped moving.

"Push those bastards back!" She yelled with a straining voice.

Shepard took up the center, standing next to Jack and firing rounds. Garrus and Tali had taken the left and right flanks respectively. Shepard looked up to see a running horde of Husks. He silently regretted the loss of his assault rifle and pulled his shotgun instead. He fired once, cutting the horde in half. The damn things were fast, too fast. He felt the cold, clammy feel of a dead hand on his shoulder and gave a little shriek. Shepard turned to face a husk, it's dead blue eyes gazing into his living ones.

Tali turned and fired, hitting the Husk full in the face. Shepard thanked her silently and continued to fire away at the horde. He fired a shell and splattered away another husk. In the looming distance, another crop of Collectors were flying overhead.

"Come at me you Bosh'tet!" Tali screamed, her voice resonating in the huge chamber.

Garrus grunted as a wave of Husks battered at his flank. He switched to his rifle and fired a rapid succession of shots. He looked to his left and saw that a wave of Collector Drones were rushing for them. He turned and fired, downing one and wounding another. A Husk grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

"Dammit!" He shouted as he was overpowered.

Shepard turned and fired a wave of pellets onto the Husk, but it's grip was like iron, and it didn't release him. He ran to Garrus and slammed his fist into the Husk.

"Garrus!" He shouted as he grabbed the wounded turian's hand.

"I'm alright, Shepard. It takes more than a zombie to bring down Archangel." Garrus grinned an odd turian grin, unseen by Shepard, and got up.

Tali looked at the two with concern. Then turned her gaze and began to fire again. A Collector Drone ran for her and fired a volley of rounds. Tali ducked down under the assault, and popped the heat sink. Shepard turned and fired, pelting the Collector with pellets. He fired a biotic pulse into an encroaching armada of Scions and ducked down.

"Jack, Collectors or not, we need to move!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready." Jack got up from cover and began to move.

They ran as fast as they could, but Collectors and Husks slowed their movement. Shepard put away his shotgun and grabbed his pistol. A Husk ran at him, and before Shepard quite registered it, he was thrown to the ground. His armor crushed and bent under the hit, but otherwise he survived. He pulled up his pistol and fired a volley into the Husk.

"Shepard!" Garrus turned and fired a volley into the rushing Abomination.

Tali grabbed Shepard's arm and dragged him further into the barrier. She helped him up and grabbed her gun.

"I'm alright, Tali."

"Keelah, you had me worried."

Shepard nodded and fired his clip into a Collector Drone. He kept up with Jack and waited for the next place to hole up. A round flashed by, grazing a white line across his visor and helm.

"Damn! Jack, get down!" Shepard dove under cover, just in time as a tidal wave of rounds ripped apart the air. Shepard grabbed Tali and forced her down, unaware that he had narrowly saved her life.

Garrus suffered a volley of rounds and slumped to the ground, just a fraction of a second too slow. He coughed blue blood, splattering the inside of his helmet.

"Garrus, no!" Shepard yelled and grabbed the turian. He pulled him down and removed his helm. "No... No... No..." He muttered, his voice worried and angry. Garrus had splattered blood everywhere, the blue tint painting the inside of the helm. His face was weak and stained, the skin under his plates was looking much paler and weaker than before.

"Stay with me, Garrus! Stay with me!"

"Shepard... We've had a good run..." Gunfire screamed overhead, but even it could not break Shepard's attention.

"No, no, no, we're going to keep on running. You can't die here Garrus! You can't die here!"

Garrus chuckled weakly, but humor was devoid from him.

"We've had a hell of a run..." Garrus's eyes dimmed and glazed, but they didn't die quite yet.

"Garrus, you said it yourself... It takes more than this to bring down Archangel." Shepard let tears roll down his face. His emotional floodgate had broken, and he didn't care.

"Shepard... Finish this... For Legion... For Zaeed... For Jacob... For Samara... For Grunt... Don't let their deaths go unavenged. Don't let them be... Don't forget them..." Garrus was weak, obviously running low on strength.

"Garrus... No, no! You're not going to die like this! You aren't going to die like this! We'll finish this, all of us..." Shepard paused, his voice was choked and watery. "I can't take any more of this... Please, Garrus..."

"Shepard... I'm done here... You aren't..." Garrus paused to cough a spray of vibrant blue blood. "Finish... This..." Garrus died, his eyes glazing over and his mandibles stopping. Shepard closed his eyes and got up.

"No... Garrus... I've lost so much... I can't lose you..." Shepard paused to look at Tali. "Stay with me, Tali... Don't leave me... Please..."

Tali turned to embrace Shepard, even amidst the gunfire. "I would never leave you... Never." Tali held Shepard for a moment longer, even Jack didn't interrupt them.

They pulled away and beckoned for Jack to move onward. Jack herself had weakened badly, but the journey would hopefully end soon. Shepard pulled ahead of the group, staying just inside the barrier.

"You killed Garrus!" Shepard screamed, his voice resonating with a vicious hiss. He fired his pistol with deadly accuracy and lightning speed. He took a few rounds, but he no longer cared. He would not die, but he would bring himself to the brink and back if it meant vengeance. A minute passed, and even the Collectors had paused in their assault. Shepard dropped his pistol and unleashed a biotic storm, ripping apart any reinforcements that might have come by.

Shepard picked up his pistol and forced Jack and Tali into a desperate run. The door was just ahead now, and they were so close. Shepard turned to see that the Collectors, while slower and more cautious, had refilled their ranks. He fired rounds into the army, but did nothing otherwise.

The door was just in front of them now, so very close. Jack got through it's boundaries and Tali went to work in trying to close it. Collector Drones were rushing now, going faster and faster in their attempts to reach them. Jack had held the barrier, but it was weakening now. Shepard started to fire again, but found his pistol overheating at a rapid rate. He popped the heat sink and looked over.

"Tali, hurry!" Jack yelled, her voice weak and straining. Her strength was draining rapidly... She wouldn't survive much longer.

A round shot out, hitting and dispelling Shepard's kinetic barrier. Another volley pulsed out, shredding his armor and flesh beneath. Shepard gave a small shriek and fell to the ground. He fell behind a row of crates and his vision went dark. Collectors ran forward and fired rounds at the one exposed figure- Jack. Her barrier began to flicker and fade, and a round found it's way through. Jack grunted as it ripped through her flesh, leaving a small hole in her abdomen.

Another volley of rounds pulsed out, and Jack took each and every shot. Tali finally managed to close the door to the Seeker room and open the other. Jack dispelled her barrier, but it was far too late. She stumbled backward, spilling blood and organs from her stomach.

"Shepard..." She groaned, and died.

Shepard pushed himself up and administered medi-gel to himself. He looked to Jack, and saw that she had died.

_Dammit!_ He thought as raw emotion swarmed his mind.

The diversion squad came rushing in as the monolithic doors opened up. The squad made it in, but their numbers were significantly reduced. Thane took point, behind him Mordin. They ran inward, panicked and wounded. The doors closed behind them, giving them temporary safety. Thane breathed a panicky sigh of relief, and looked at the other two. His expression gave way to more dismay.

"Shepard... We've lost so many people." Thane muttered dryly.

"They said it was a suicide mission... Oh god, I wish I could have known!" Shepard broke down into tears, and Tali came behind him.

"Shepard... We'll get through this. We always have."

"No we won't Tali! We'll die here! There's no hope for us... No hope..." Shepard screamed, many emotions reverberating through that one shout.

"Dammit! Garrus is dead! Why can't you see that? We're all going to die here! ALL OF US!"

Tali tried her best not to break down at this, tried her best to comfort Shepard, and failed in both respects.

"Hold me." She groaned and took Shepard in a panicky, desperate hold.

* * *

The diversionary team had done everything they could to keep the heat off of Shepard and his team... But it had definitely been hard. With only four people, they had been doomed from the start.

Miranda forced the group down the hallway, leading her squad to the door. They fought loud and gaudily, all in an attempt to draw the attention from the others. They were trying to reach the doors that stood at the end of the hall... But it was a long and strenuous journey.

Miranda took cover behind a collection pod and fired a volley with her Sub Machine Gun. She gunned down a running group and trained the barrel on another. A round pulsed by her head, grazing a thin rill through her shields. She ducked down and grabbed at an incendiary grenade- A present Zaeed had given her after she saved her sister. She had scoffed then, but she didn't scoff now. She lobbed the grenade at a group of Drones and watched as they were incinerated by the blast.

A round struck her barrier, draining it to fifty percent in an instant, and she ducked down. Thane came rushing forward, pulsing biotic attacks at every opportunity in an attempt to reduce their numbers. He ducked under the pulse of a Collector Beam and fired the rest of his clip blindly. Harbinger possessed a Collector Drone and came alive. A biotic pulse slammed into Thane's side, knocking the air out of his lungs and sending a spray of blood into the air.

He got up and threw himself behind cover, narrowly dodging another biotic attack. He relished the cover for a few moments before propping himself back up to release another assault. He pulled his pistol and fired both his SMG and his heavy pistol in tandem. The pulse of rounds managed to pin down a squad... But it seemed that for every team he killed, two more took positions.

Kasumi came out of cloak to finish one of the Collector Assassins and fire a couple bolts. Barrels turned to face her, and rounds shot out. She went cloak and ran back cover. A round sent sizzling pain through her nerves, but she no longer cared. Blood painted her form even through the cloak, and gave them a target to shoot at.

She slid behind cover and released her cloak. She pulled out a medi-gel canister and applied it to her wounds. More pain ripped through her, but it began to fade almost as soon as it arrived. She pulled her pistol out and began to fire rounds blindly. She hissed venomously as her hand took a shot. He pulled it back and assessed the damage.

_Dammit... Effectively shot off... Fuck!_ Her thoughts were jumbled and weak.

Mordin came beside her and tried to apply medi-gel to the wound. She groaned and pulled it back, doing nothing but looking at it. Mordin gave a Salarian shrug and went back to his own fight. He unleashed a pulse of incendiary energy to a lone Collector Drone. A shot hit him in the arm and he pulled it back. He applied medi-gel and let it heal for a moment.

A Drone came rushing up and vaulted over his cover. The Drone looked at him for a moment before bringing up it's rifle. Mordin rolled away from the volley and brought up his own pistol. Firing awkwardly, he brought the Drone down in record time. The Drone fell backward and died there. Mordin breathed a mental sigh of relief and stumbled back beside Kasumi. He picked up his SMG and resumed firing.

Miranda unleashed a biotic storm and brought down a squad of Drones, then fired a volley with her pistol. A Drone rushed for her, in the middle of being possessed by Harbinger. Miranda tried to fire, but found her weapon overheated as she did so.

"Dammit!" She shouted as the Harbinger-Drone slammed into her.

She was thrown backward into the wall, blood streaming from her mouth as she slid to the ground. Harbinger-Drone approached her, no gun in hand but malice in it's eyes. It grabbed her by the throat, bringing another torrent of blood down her nose and mouth. Her eyes bulged in terror and surprise as Harbinger-Drone created an orb of biotic energy. Harbinger-Drone brought the orb to her face, holding it in front of her as if it were taunting her.

A strangled cry escaped her lips, and the possessed drone tried to silence it. Harbinger-Drone slammed the orb into her face, enveloping her with orange-red fire. Miranda screamed in tormented pain and fell to the ground, smoking and wounded. Thane turned and launched a burst of biotic energy at the Harbinger-Drone, ripping apart it's stony carapace. The possessed Drone dropped Miranda and faced the drell.

It sprinted at incredibly fast speeds, but Thane was faster. He sidestepped the Harbinger-Drone and placed his gun in the crook of it's neck. He fired twice and the Drone dropped to the ground. Thane didn't utter a prayer, rather he continued to fight.

Miranda gasped for breath, trying to regain the vitality she had lost. Her skin was smoking and charred, devoid of it's porcelain perfection that it once had. Her innards had simmered and fried, and she was _very_ lucky to still be alive. She stumbled and picked up her gun. She got up and fired a volley blindly, trying to occupy her wounded brain with the sound of gunfire.

Kasumi had applied medi-gel, but she knew that she would never regain her hand. She'd have to get a prosthetic. With her off-hand, she picked up her heavy pistol and took several aimed shots. She unleashed an Overload on a group of Drones and ducked behind cover before they could retaliate. They had pushed the enemy back a fair bit, but that would change if they didn't act soon. She looked at Miranda, who was charred to a crisp but somehow alive, and took charge.

"Advance!" She screamed, and the group was ready to obey.

All four of them moved forward, even Miranda who's brain was still addled from the biotic orb that literally cooked her alive. They moved quickly and swiftly, knowing that they had to get to cover soon. Kasumi went cloak and infiltrated enemy lines. She emerged from cloak to rip apart a Drone. Gunfire tore into her, but she went into cloak before it could do further damage.

Kasumi fled to cover and hid behind a stony outcropping. Pain tore at her, ripping her conscious mind into shreds. Her field of vision began to narrow and blur. Her fight-or-flight instinct was kicking in. She pulled her SMG and was dismayed to find that it had overheated and broken. She hissed a few unintelligible curses and instead grabbed her belt of flash-bangs. She lobbed them, one at a time, into the horde. Bright yellow-purple sunspots filled her vision, rendering her blind, but her instinct commanded her to do this. Her body was ripped to shreds as she lobbed these grenades, but she would not die until her job was done.

Kasumi threw the last grenade and dropped to the ground. Blood flowed at unmitigated, unprecedented rate. Her flesh hung in wispy strands from her arms, sinewy, bloody threads. She fell to the ground, and died. Her last known emotion was anger. Pure, unaltered anger.

Mordin approached the body and scanned it. Dead, something he already feared. His mouth deepened into a sad and terrible frown, and his eyes closed reverently. A moment later he got up. He fired a volley, one hand clasping his pistol and the other sending out neural shock-waves on the enemy. He watched with cold calculation as the enemy was taken with bouts of horrible pain. Collector Drones collapsed in wide strides, eliminated huge swaths of enemies.

Thane sprinted forward, both hands devoted to biotic assaults. He unleashed a swarm of power onto the disabled enemies, thus finishing them with rapid efficiency. Gunfire rang behind him, and he felt the hot burn as a shot ripped him open. He grunted and sprinted forward, eager to reach some semblance of cover. The enemy had hit them from behind, and were taking ground quickly.

_The tide has turned._ He thought with some nervousness as he vaulted over a collection pod. Another shot ripped through his arm, and another grazed his leg. Finally, he slid behind cover and prayed to the gods that it would hold up.

Mordin had seen this coming and had managed to get away in time... Miranda hadn't been quite so lucky. She looked to the horde with her blackened skin and charred body, and elected to end this. She would never recover from these injuries, she would never adapt... She would end them too.

"Misery... Enjoys... Company." She spat blood and sprinted into the army. Bullets stung at her, broke her shields and broke her bones, but this was the end, wasn't it?

She grabbed at her grenade belt and activated the remaining eleven incendiary grenades. They all beeped loudly, deafening and buffeting her ears. She sprinted into the horde, absorbing bullets as she ran. The bullets crashed into her, bringing her to the brink of death. She ran, her pace never faltering until she reached the center of the armada. Finally, she collapsed in the midst of the Drones. She went with a whimper. The grenades went with a bang.

A huge red-orange firestorm shot up, enveloping the Drones and destroying much of the base. The second armada collapsed, destroyed almost as soon as they arrived.

Thane looked at this grisly display and wished he hadn't. Emotional pain wrenched his heart, bringing a hitching breath to his lungs.

_So many have died... So many die just to help their comrades. Legion gave his life to buy us time. Miranda has done the same... By the gods, this world is cruel._ Thane thought, the sound of his mind's voice cool and comforting in the confines of his head.

Thane and Mordin holed up in front of the door, perched behind cover and only occasionally popping out to fire rounds and unleash their abilities. Mordin had suffered too many injuries, and was on the last leg of his resistance. He was tired and weak, and his skin had grown cold, clammy, and pale. Thane had taken a few injuries himself, too many for him to ever completely recover. The blood flow had stopped, but it had still taken it's toll.

A metal wrenching noise knocked away his thoughts, and they turned to see the metal doors opening. Thane silently thanked his gods, and sprinted in. Rounds pelted against him and his shields as he did, but he would take this torture and more to escape. He sprinted in and ducked behind cover. Mordin did the same, having been lucky to escape further injury.

The doors closed again, and Thane breathed a sigh of relief...

* * *

Thane finished retelling his tale, unhappy to retell it and even more unhappy to have to live with it. He looked to his comrades, the other three that remained, anyhow. He saw fear and fury intermingled on their faces, all except Tali, who's emotions were hidden by her faceplate. Silence descended on them, feeding off the tension like a parasite.

"No more." Shepard said, breaking the silence. "No more bravado, no heroics. We've lost too many for anyone else to go like this... You understand?" He looked to his men, and saw nothing that contradicted his statement.

"We'll stay here and lick our wounds, at least for the time-being, but we're going to finish this. These damn bugs have killed our friends, our comrades... They have threatened this galaxy and everyone in it, but no more. We'll go down as heroes, whether we live or die. We end this, and we'll end it as heroes. All of us."

Shepard, having recovered from his emotional breakdown, gave this small speech with a huge degree of confidence and strength.

The others looked relieved to have a chance to recover, and they set out with surprising speed. Thane began to dress his wounds, Mordin did the same, while Tali tapped away at her omni-tool. No doubt trying to fight off any infections that might have popped up. Shepard just watched, chewing his ration bar silently and thoughtfully.

_We're so close. We just have to finish this, we just have to end this._ He looked to Tali, and he felt his emotions wrench at his heart again. Death hung all around them at this place, and death would permeate it long after they left. If they left.

He had been a failure to his men. They had given their lives for him, they had died so he could live. They wanted him to finish this, all of them. Legion and Garrus had come right out and said it. Yet, despite their assurances, despite their faith, he no longer felt like he could. Collector Drones were approaching, and they wouldn't be able to hold them off. The core was still looming ahead, an insurmountable goal among a land of obstacles.

Still, there were so many things he didn't know. Why they needed humans, for one. How the Reapers were involved for another. 9 of his people had died here, and he still didn't know a damn thing. What would he do, how would he end this?

"So many questions..." He muttered, his voice quiet and confused. He grabbed another ration bar and chewed at it quietly. He looked across at his squad. The three survivors were still healing their wounds, though Mordin was now following Tali's example and using his omni-tool for the job. Thane's face was stitched with pain and splattered with blood. Something he was trying to take care of.

Shepard chewed at his third ration bar, aware that he had just ingested 3000 calories in a single sitting. Finally, he finished and put away his food. He was done for now, and it would hopefully be enough to keep his biotics going. He slowly unlatched his armor and let it clatter to the ground. The pieces themselves had suffered damage, but nothing too severe. His undersuit had also taken substantial damage. He looked at his wounds, most of which were smallish holes were he had taken hits. The Collectors used larger slugs than Alliance fare, something that resulted in massive amounts of damage to organics.

He went about his healing slowly and methodically, starting with his chest and working up and down. The most severe damage had been in his chest, where he had taken little over 20 different wounds. Some of which had punctured his organs. He worked down to his legs, which had suffered more than one puncture. Then he worked at his arms, which had remained somewhat unharmed through it all. Although his left had taken a bad scald. He checked his head with a mirror, and was glad to find no major damages. Although one shot had grazed his skull and exposed the bone underneath.

Shepard finished up this little chore, relieved to find that the pain was fading. With that done, he waited. He waited for the time to pass, and he waited for a chance to end this. He was in this to the end, they all were.

The remains of that hour passed by quickly. None of them did anything but recover. There were no card-games, no story-telling, no reading... Nothing happened but thinking and recovering. They had healed their wounds and moved to their rations. When they finished eating they patched their armor. Then they cleaned their guns, and finally, they sat and thought.

Shepard unified the remains of the team.

"An army of Collectors are coming for us. They'll be here soon, and while we could have gotten a head start, we needed to recover. To recuperate. There's no way we can fend them off, no way to fight them. So, all four of us are going to the base's core. They'll hit us from the front and eventually the back. We'll unite under this, one group, one mind, and we will fight. This is it, this is the end. The base ends here. The Collectors end here. We will prevail, we will succeed. And if anyone of us are still alive to celebrate it, we will remember those who died here today. On and out, men." Shepard led the squad to the final chamber, where the fight would bring them to the end of their endurance.

* * *

The group came to the final chamber, a macabre production room. Looming ahead of them was the Reaper-Human larvae. The group looked upon it, their eyes bulging in terror and surprise.

"What the..." Shepard began, but didn't quite finish.

"Keelah..." Tali muttered.

"Abomination..." Thane's voice was a murmur.

"Fascinating... Utterly fascinating." Mordin's words expressed excitement, but his tone suggested dread.

The Larva came to life, it's hideous eyes opening to glare at the group. It seemed to look around, glancing at the walls, the ceiling, and finally at the four soldiers who stood below. It gave a bloodcurdling roar of fury. It's eyes blazed red, and an awful light began to burn within them.

"Get down!" Shepard screamed, breaking their paralysis. They scrambled to cover as the Reaper's mouth dropped open. Shepard dove behind cover as a wave of reddish energy blazed across the huge chamber.

Shepard, even behind cover, was thrown backwards by the impact and left exposed to attack. As if on cue, Collector Drones flew in on a new platform, guns blazing and openly firing. Shepard felt rounds pelt against his armor, and scrambled to get back up. Meanwhile the others had elected to remain in position and try to provide covering fire.

Shepard managed to get behind cover and back on his feet, but it was in vain. The second Reaper blast was charged and ready before he quite knew what was happening. It shot out and _flung_ him across the room. He slammed down on another platform and felt his shields dispel. Drones took the opportunity and fired on him as he laid there, not quite able to move yet. Rounds pelted against his armor and sheared through him.

"Shepard! It's charging up!" Thane yelled, not sure if Shepard heard it or not.

He heard it. Shepard scrambled to his feet and dove behind cover, a second too late as the beam buffeted his armor and blazed his living flesh. His vision became bright red, and then dark.

Tali stayed behind cover, watching Shepard and hoping to the gods that he survived. Thane had tried to warn him, but he was a bit too slow. However irrational it might be, she hated him for it. Hated him eternally. Mordin was in the process of holding back the Collector horde, while Thane was trying to revive Shepard. She wasn't doing anything but watching him.

_"Tali... Don't leave me..."_ The warm sound of Shepard's voice filled her mind, and she looked up. Drones were advancing to her, almost running in their attempts to reach her. She turned to face one of them, it hadn't quite retrieved it's weapon, but it was pretty damn close. Tali shot an incendiary blast at it, throwing it back and incinerating it's armored flesh.

"Thanks for the warning, Shepard." She murmured as she returned to the fight.

Shepard awoke twenty or so seconds after he was knocked out. His armor was seared and the flesh beneath it cooked. He was wounded badly, but he would survive... Hopefully. He grabbed for his shotgun and got to his feet. A shot hit him in the arm, tearing into his forearm. Nevertheless, he remained on his feet. He staggered forward and crouched under cover.

"Any ideas on how to beat this thing?" Shepard groaned, his voice much weaker than he expected.

"No. Our attempts have been met with failure." Thane responded without taking his eyes off his targets.

Shepard popped out of cover to fire a shell, buffeting a squad with raw force, and then ducked behind cover again. He heard the distinctive hum of the Reaper's weapon charging. It's eyes glowed with an innate light, and Shepard threw himself down. A wave of red energy shot out, buffeting and attacking everything except the Collectors.

Another platform full of these drones touched down, releasing another horde unto them. The group was rapidly finding themselves overpowered as they buffeted their ranks. A squad came rushing for them, running at incredible rates. Harbinger came rushing forth, his sinister voice filling the air and silencing the roar of gunfire.

The glowing orange visage of Harbinger dominated the platform, drawing their eyes to it. It raised a biotic orb of orange-red energy in it's palm, studying it for a moment. It looked at the others and directed this orb toward Mordin, who was the most exposed. The orb slammed into Mordin, hitting him and throwing him aside. He was knocked out of cover and into the range of dozens of Collector Drones.

Mordin coughed a spray of blood and looked to Shepard. Rounds slammed into him and ripped him apart, but he survived even these injuries to get his message across.

"Shoot... Tubes... Finish it." Mordin coughed a massive spray of blood, a _huge_ cloud of it, and died.

Shepard looked up to see that there were indeed four identical tubes, likely pumping in the residue of melted humans. They were huge, and likely the main supports holding up the thing. They became exposed to feed in new material. Shepard beckoned to the tubes and began to fire his heavy pistol into them.

Moments later, they closed off, their armored plates deflecting further attack. Enemy forces advanced on Tali, who was stationed some distance away from Shepard and Thane.

"Thane, cover me!" Shepard spoke quietly and charged for Tali. Thane opened fire on the Collector army, drawing attention and killing a few.

Shepard grabbed Tali's arm and beckoned her to Thane's position. She understood and began to move, narrowly escaping the wave of Drones that were headed her way. Shepard turned to run, but the energy burst hit him at that time. Shepard was thrown to the ground and crushed against the energy storm. He groaned and began to crawl away. He was met with a wave of gunshots, some of them puncturing his armor, all of them hitting him.

"Shepard!" Tali screamed and began to fire her SMG and her heavy pistol in tandem. Her shots were inaccurate, simply a suppressing wave of gunfire, but it did the job. She dropped her pistol to the ground and grabbed Shepard by the arms. She dragged him to cover and set about trying to remotely administer medi-gel.

"I'm fine, Tali... Thanks..." He groaned and picked himself up with one hand. He looked and saw that the tubes were becoming exposed. "See those tubes, Tali? Shoot em'." Shepard began to fire away, as if leading by example.

Thanks to the combined arms of the three of them, two tubes were destroyed with shameless efficiency. The Reaper roared it's disapproval and fired an energy pulse, this one strong enough to throw back all three of the soldiers. They recovered, almost in unison, from the assault and scrambled behind cover.

The Drones had gained land at a massive rate, and were close to their position. They would swallow them entirely if they didn't finish this soon. Thane and Tali occupied themselves by holding back the enemy, using every last iota of strength and firepower left to do so. Shepard fired his shotgun into a lone Collector Drone, completely vaporizing it's body from the waist up.

The Reaper opened it's hideous mouth and unleashed another wave of red energy, this time markedly weaker than the last. The tubes opened up, and Shepard took the opportunity. He emptied his pistol into them, shattering one and then shattering the other. The Reaper gave out a hideous roar and fell, knocking down several other platforms as it did so.

The team watched in silence as it did so. So many had fought and died for this... And they had done it. It was over, all of it. Shepard let his gaze linger for a moment longer before turning to the hexagonal shape in the middle of his platform. He tapped on his microphone and tried to signal the _Normandy_.

"Joker? Joker? Normandy, please respond!" Shepard got no signal, just the endless whine of static.

Shepard shrugged and opened up the main terminal. He fished through, looking for the handy "self destruct" button. Finally, he actually found it, or at least, it's equivalent. He overloaded the reactors and shut down the terminal.

"Ten minutes til the reactor blows... We did it. It's over." Shepard found no solace in it. This victory had been fought and won with blood... So much blood. They had lost their best friends, had lost their comrades, and no doubt lost parts of themselves during this battle. They would never recover, no matter how hard they tried.

Moments later, a horrific roar emerged from the dark depths below.

"Dear god, no!" Shepard screamed and ran for cover as the Reaper emerged from the inky blackness.

Horrifically, terrifyingly, and angrily, it appeared. It looked at them with three horrible eyes, their combined gaze shedding intense light onto the three of them. It's mouth dropped open, and the normal red light began to swell.

As if by instinct, Shepard dove to cover and watched as the others did the same. The red energy wave shot out, livid and enraged, it slammed into him them. They were thrown backwards by the force of the blast, even their shields had been destroyed by the hit. Shepard grunted as he hit the ground. The air rushed out of him and he felt something crack, but he paid no mind to his own struggles. Thane had been grabbed by the Harbinger-Drone.

Helplessly, Thane was grabbed by the throat and hoisted into the air. He struggled under the hot, burning grip, but was utterly helpless. Harbinger-Drone's grip was like a vise. The monster created an orb of biotic energy in it's palm, and forced Thane to gaze at it.

"No..." Thane knew where this was going, a fate even he couldn't bear. "No!" Thane struggled vehemently, trying to break the grip. Shepard saw him, but he was pinned down by Collector firing squads. Tali had been knocked unconscious by the blast, and was lying several yards away.

Harbinger-Drone brought the orb closer to Thane, singing his skin badly as it moved closer. Thane struggled violently, grabbing for his pistol but not quite managing it. The orb whipped violently into him, carving a horrible path through his flesh as it did so.

"Argh!" Thane gave a strangled cry of pain, and dropped dead in the Harbinger-Drone's terrible grip.

Shepard pushed himself up and lobbed a biotic pulse at his attackers, and then focused his attention on the Harbinger-Drone. He gunned it down with his last clip, and was relieved to see Thane fall to the ground. His relief was dashed when Thane didn't get up.

"Dammit!" Shepard yelled as he trained his Collector Beam on the Reaper's eye.

Tali regained consciousness soon after. Her head pulsed with slick and vibrant pain, but it was distant feeling. The world was ringing and she felt blood roar in her ears, but that also didn't capture her attention. Thane was dead, and she would be soon if she didn't act fast. Collector Drones rushed her, blitzing her position at incredible rates. Shepard was occupied in an attempt to kill the horrific Reaper, but it was slow going.

The Drones had reached them, and now they slammed into them from both sides. Gunfire roared heavily, severe and huge amidst the battle. Tali got to her feet and fired her best abilities, her only weapon, and every bit of instinct left into the running horde. She vaulted behind cover moments after a bullet punched through her shields. A volley of rounds slammed against her armor before she made it behind cover. A river of blood flowed down her lip, and she had no doubts that a thousand contaminants were inside of her.

_No time to do a systems seal... We're in this to the end._ She thought, her mental voice strangled and panicked.

The Reaper dropped out of sight and Shepard turned to see that they were being attacked from both sides. He cursed under his breath and began to fight back. Shotgun in hand, he buffeted the oncoming force with raw strength. Harbinger-Drone came for him, but it was nothing to him. He unleashed a massive wave of biotic energy onto the creature and watched it dissipate into dust. A round punched through his shield and ripped open his arm.

"Fuck!" Shepard yelled and dropped to the ground. Pain took him by a storm, bigger than anything he had faced before. As he laid writhing on the ground, the Reaper came back. It looked with hideous eyes and dropped it's mouth.

Shepard pushed himself up and pulled out his beam. He was running out of power, he was running out of strength, but he had a chance. He fired a full pulse into it, searing at it's weak point with raw heat and energy. The Reaper screamed it's anger and unleashed it's own energy pulse. Shepard ducked down, not wanting to be killed or injured by the blast.

He remained on his feet. Tali did not. She had been engaged in open battle and did not notice the Reaper's attack. Her shields dissipated and she was flung across the platform. She toppled over the edge and grabbed at a handhold.

"Tali!" Shepard screamed and ran to his lover. Rounds flew toward him, and more than a couple punched through his shields, but he was lost to the world. Tali wouldn't leave him. He wouldn't leave her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Rounds slammed into his back, sending fresh blood coursing from his wounds.

Tali got back on her feet and started for new cover. She dragged Shepard down with her as she did it in an attempt to keep him alive. Collector Drones were rushing now, crushing them with one organic hammer and anvil. The Reaper being the anvil, and the oncoming army being the hammer. Shepard got up, and despite the blood running down his back and his mouth, he grinned. He grinned and pulled out an emergency energy cell. A commodity he usually never needed.

He popped it into his beam and trained it on the Reaper's exposed eye. He fired the last remnants of the weapon's battery into it, searing away at it's weak spot. A flare of red energy shot out from the eye, a sign of it's weakening integrity. The Reaper ducked out of sight, avoiding further assault.

"Tali! Take this beam, I'll try to hold back the Drones!"

"Okay Shepard!" Shepard tossed the beam at her and pulled out his shotgun. He sprinted to Tali's side, ready to defend her from whatever threats might come.

The oncoming army rushed forward, a huge armada, absolutely unstoppable in their push. Tali and Shepard alone would never be able to fight them off, and Shepard was unsure even the whole team would have stopped them.

His guns did little to slow them and did nothing to stop them, but he occasionally brought one down. The Reaper came back, it's evil eye trained on the two of them. Tali began to open fire once more, shredding away at the Reaper's defenses. The thing gave a horrible screech and unleashed a wave of energy at the two of them. The force hit them hard, but not quite as hard as before. They stayed in position, holding back the armada as best as they could.

A squad came running forward, propelled by either bravado or suicidal instinct. Shepard gunned one down, but they were fast. Very fast. Three of them jumped behind them and made it behind their cover. Tali and Shepard were buffeted by rounds, beaten and struck relentlessly. Shepard's shield was punctured before he even raised his gun, and Tali's armor had been pierced in many places.

"Bosh'tet!" Tali screamed as she gunned down a Collector Drone.

Shepard followed suit and finished the other two. He groaned at the new pain and returned to his previous fight.

Moments later, the Reaper had returned. It's livid red light glared down on them, blinding in it's luminescence. Tali opened fire immediately, and Shepard did the same. It was on it's last leg now, they were so close.

"Die you bastard!" Shepard screamed and unleashed a biotic attack. The Reaper's eye exploded and it fell back to the ground, taking with it the balance of the platforms.

They all tumbled and collapsed as the platforms did the same. Tali and Shepard slid down at a rapid rate, clutching each others hands and refusing to let go. A sudden explosion rocked them, further upsetting the balance of the craft.

A desperate slide began. Shepard crashed into an outcropping piece of metal, and his hold on Tali's hand was broken. The air rushed out of him with a whoosh, and he found himself flying in the air. Collector Drones flew around them, thrown about and just as confused as they were. Shepard landed with a crushing snap as his ribcage cracked under the hit. He coughed a spray of blood onto the platform and began to slide once more.

He felt another blow as a flying piece of rubble hit his head. Darkness filled his vision, first graying and then fading. He knew no more.

* * *

Shepard awoke with a groan. He was bleeding all along the side of his face and his innards seemed to have been broiled, but he survived. He looked around and saw Tali lying on the ground not too far away. He reached her and turned her over. Her face-plate had been cracked, but not broken. Her armor had been shot through in many places, but she still survived. He picked her up and held her as he began to move out.

"Joker? Joker?!" Shepard tried to contact the _Normandy_, and established the connection, but didn't hear Joker. "Come in, Normandy!" Shepard was desperate now, and his shouts awoke Tali from her pain-induced unconsciousness.

"Shepard... What's happening?" She asked, her voice drowsy and weak.

"The Normandy's not responding! I'm not hearing a response!" Shepard was on the verge of fury now. "We went through all of this... We lost everyone and everything... Only to die on this damned base."

A sound broke their fury, a clearly synthetic sound.

"Shepard? This is EDI. Jeff is dead, he died shortly after you left. His lung ruptured. I can fly the Normandy, but you need to be here soon. The reactor will explode in roughly 60 seconds." Shepard was not relieved to hear EDI, the news of Joker's death had shocked him badly.

"Can you delay it?"

"No. Hurry, Shepard."

The two of them limped along, weakened and wounded as they ran. Collector Drones charged them, but neither of them fought back. Tali's pace slowed, but Shepard only pushed her harder.

"I'm hurt badly Shepard... I can't go on..." Tali panted, her voice grave and desperate.

"We're almost there Tali... We're so close!"

"I'm sorry, Shepard... I'm sorry..." Shepard pushed her farther, and then holed up next to her. "The Normandy will be here soon... You need to get out of here."

"Not without you!" Shepard screamed, his voice teeming with anger.

"I'll always be with you... Shepard. I love you... Never forget that. Never... Never forget." Tali stumbled for a moment, her voice loping weakly. "Keelah se'lai" She murmured and died.

Shepard was quiet and reverant, saddened deeply by his loss. Collector Drones charged him, rushing his lone figure as he stood defenseless. He stared at Tali's dead figure, and cried. Once more, the emotional floodgates came loose and he let tears run down his face, carving thin rills through the crusted blood. His emotions had been bottled for so long, and only today had they ever come loose.

Collector Drones reached him, and they opened fire.

Shepard looked at them, looked at the army that had surrounded him, and decided that they would not live any longer. He dropped his shotgun and unleashed a massive storm of biotic energy. A huge burst of power overtook the Collectors, destroying the entire dispatched force in one swath. He walked on to the extraction point, the last leg of his journey. The Normandy approached, hovering loudly in the air. Shepard took in a huge breath, and sprinted for the airlock. He heard explosions behind him as he ran, he heard gunshots ring out, he heard the horrific sounds of dying Drones, but most of all, his mind reverberated endlessly with Tali's last words.

He leaped through the airlock and sealed the doors. EDI immediately got the _Normandy_ moving afterward. Shepard sprinted and belted down as he prepared for a Faster-Than-Light jump.

* * *

Shepard stayed in his room. The entire ship was empty and devoid of life. EDI tried to keep him company, but nothing would ever fill the gap that had been left. The last week had been spent in misery. Attempts to mingle in Omega had been desperate and a failure. Tali was gone, and no one would fill her place. Garrus was dead, his best friend, dead. He had lost so much, so many, and he would never forget them.

He sat, staring at the dead fish which filled the tank. He had neglected to clean the pod, and likely never would. Shepard averted his gaze toward his pistol, the sole survivor of that horrible mission. He had been a survivor once, and he was a survivor again... And damn if it didn't hurt. He tore his gaze from his pistol to glance at the picture on his desk. A picture of Tali with her helm off.

He had turned it down for awhile, as if it was painful to look at it, but had eventually flipped it back up. The action had done nothing for him. He never walked around the Normandy anymore, the emptiness just depressed him. Not even Chakwas had survived the melt-down, even after all she had survived in the past.

No one survived here. Not on the Collector Base, not on this vessel that was surrounded by death. No one survived.

"EDI. Dock this ship at the Citadel. Contact the Alliance and tell them what happened. I'm sorry." A lone tear streaked down Shepard's face, and he grabbed his pistol.

"Understood, Shepard." EDI remained silent for a time-being, and then logged out.

Shepard jammed the pistol into his mouth. He felt the oily taste of the gun's barrel, he felt the cool metal on his dry throat, he felt the gun's cool feeling of death. He put one hand on the trigger and slowly pushed it down. Images of his life passed him by, images of war, of love, of pain, of suffering. Images of Tali and all that she had been to him.

_Tali... Garrus... Grunt... Miranda... Legion... Jacob... Samara... Jack... Kasumi... Zaeed... Mordin... Thane... I'll miss you guys. I'll miss all of you._ His thoughts were cool and clear, despite the smoky turmoil in his head.

_I love you, Tali._ He thought, then pulled the trigger.

For all of a second, all was bright and white. Then, there was darkness. Inky darkness.


End file.
